2017

2016

Funded postgraduate places to help drive economic growth

Published OnWed 31 May 2017by
Cara Longmuir

Dozens of fully funded postgraduate places ranging from sustainability to comics are to be made available at the University of Dundee.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has made 60 places available on ten specific Masters courses that cover energy, engineering and the creative industries in order to help develop a high-level skills base in key sectors in the Scottish economy. The places cover all tuition fees associated with the programmes and applicants classified as Scottish or EU for fee purposes are eligible to apply.

This is the initiative’s fourth year and over 150 graduates have been helped into postgraduate study at the University in that time. One of them, Fiona Ross, took up a place on the MSc Sustainability programme last year.

She said, “As a mature student, from an arts background, coming to study an MSc in Sustainability has been a steep learning curve, but without doubt an excellent experience for me. I had great tutors, strong guidance and an amazing library.”

Places will be awarded competitively to applicants with the strongest applications in the judgement of the course leaders. This will principally be based on a student's prior academic performance, but equivalent work experience may also be taken into account.

“This SFC funding is an investment in the future of this country,” said Professor Karl Leydecker, Vice-Principal (Learning & Teaching) at the University. “We are able to offer dozens of fully funded postgraduate places to graduates with the potential to make a real difference to Scotland’s economy.

“The University has a core mission to transform lives locally and globally by promoting the sustainable use of global resources, shaping the future through innovative design and improving social, cultural and physical wellbeing. This dovetails with what the SFC is trying to achieve by funding these places.

“Investment is required to support growth in these vital sectors and this is an exceptional opportunity for graduates looking to build on their existing skills base and qualifications to enhance their prospects. There is also the chance for employees in these industries to take the next step in their career by joining these highly relevant and vocational programmes tailored to the needs of industry."